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what is metastable equilibrium?

A system is present in equilibrium when the quantities of the chemical substances involved do not change unless external factors like temperature, composition of the substances and pressure of the system is changed. At this point the chemical equilibrium is said to be stable. If there is a possibility that the composition at the equilibrium may change, but the rate of change is infinitesimally slow, the system is said to be in a metastable state and it will have higher free energy than the actual equilibrium state.

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  (physics) A condition in which a system returns to equilibrium after small (but not large) displacements; it may be represented by a ball resting in a small depression on top of a hill. 
(physical chemistry) A state of pseudo-equilibrium having higher free energy than the true equilibrium state

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   the quality of a physical system that persists in its existing equilibrium when undisturbed (or only slightly disturbed) but able to pass to a more stable equilibrium when sufficiently disturbed

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